Achilles is the hero of the Iliad, the hope of the Greeks and was hailed as an all-powerful demi-god, despite being second-in-command to Agamemnon. No one could best him, however as with almost every hero, his weakness was a loved one he held dear to his heart; the loss of that propelled Achilles for vengeance. He defeats his arch-nemesis, Hector, saves his comrades, and paves the way for Victory.
The reason Achilles chose to fight and end his life was the low sense of self-worth as a result of Patroclus' death. It is agonizing to see a man of such pride, tumble so easily. It's not as if Achilles was pure arrogance, he lived up to the greatness he was destined for. For his heroic status, Achilles was immortalized and his legend was passed on, as was the tradition of the Greeks: achieve through strength and bravery and your legacy will inspire.
Achilles' regret in the aftermath does spurn some questions though. Is a glorious death really as desirable and romantic as it sounds? Looking at it, from a modern perspective, Achilles was extremely depressed, vulnerable, and hastily decided to throw away his life. Great for the readers and the Greeks, but not the individual psyche. Also, Achilles was killed by Paris, a coward and a cause of the war. Was Homer trying to redeem the cowardly Paris or was he subtly trying to contradict the romantic notions of dying in combat?
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